Saturday, 22 October 2016

Bonanza, Cadiz province

Little BitternIxobrychus minutus

Saturday 15 October

A calm and warm start with clear skies as a group of 33
members of the Andalucia Bird Society set off to explore the birding hotspots
around the Bonanza salinas, calling first at the two ponds in the village
before visiting the main Salinas and then the lake and woods to the north. No sooner had we arrived at the ponds and we
were recording birds all over the place with the smaller pond producing the
Kingfisher, The main pond had Snipe,
Little Grebe, Heron, Little Egret, Black-winged Stilt, Moorhen and Coot in full
view and quickly followed by the discovery of Purple Swamphen and a Little
Bittern. What a start!

Purple SwamphenPorphyrio porphyrio

Then on to the ducks where we found both Mallard and
White-headed with Ringed Plovers feeding on the shore behind them. A Squacco Heron flew over at the back of the
pond and then we managed to home in on a small flock of Waxbills. The Green Sandpiper was lovely as was the
Cetti’s Warbler but there, resting on the edge of a small island, was a female
Pintail. Over the water a constant,
small supply of Barn Swallows and the occasional Sand Martin.

Female PintailAnas acuta

Time to move on to the salinas and we were greeted by both a Robin and a
Zitting Cisticola and quickly followed by a pair of Lesser Short-toed
Larks. With so many cars from the group
heading to the main water on the right we ventured left towards the river where
we duly recorded Crested Lark and numerous Stonechats along with a few
Sardinian Warblers. On the neighbouring
pools were many Flamingo and then a couple of Ruff. House Sparrows and Common Sandpiper to the
left and then the first of many Red Kite sightings. Nothing we thought over the river itself and
then a gorgeous Hobby drifted over and remained for quite a while – but the
camera was in the car and by the time I had retrieved it, having enjoyed watching
the raptor, the bird was fairly distant. Lovely.

Common SandpiperActitis macularius

Thinking the main group would now be moving on we travelled
to the large water and passed a small number of Linnets and a resting Common
Gull on the way. On arrival we soon
found all the Cormorants, a distant Black Stork and the feeding Caspian Terns. Similarly, a couple of Great White Egrets
were seen and a Sky Lark ascended above us.
Meanwhile, close to shore, a
single Slender-billed Gull posed on a small rock for all to see and
admire. As we watched three large flocks
of Dunlin moved across the water followed by a small a Spoonbill. Even a quartet of Griffon Vultures. Time to make our way out of the Salinas and
as we drove we also picked up Meadow Pipit, White Wagtail and both Lesser and
Common Kestrel. Waders were mainly Common
Redshank but we did also see Turnstone and Sanderling.

So on to the woods and a visit to the large lake at the end
of the village of La Algaida. Coots and
Little Grebes on the water in front of us and to the left, on what we named “Duck
Island” a large mixed flock of mainly Shoveler and many Mallards. The same also on the water where we also
noted a few Common Pochard. Around the edges
many Night Herons including juveniles and, immediately opposite, a juvenile
seemed to be perched on top of a single Muscovey Duck! Just the one Squacco Heron but more Grey
Herons. Add on Moorhens and a pair of Black-necked
Grebes and we thought we had seen everything but then the “star” was found
resting on the edge of “Duck Island” behind an Avocet. Yes, our first Marbled Duck of the
week-end. But closer inspection not only
revealed one had taken to the water behind the island but there were as many as
five individuals.

Male StonechatSaxicola torquatus

Next, a drive through the woods resulted in the sight of yet
more Red Kites followed by a Booted Eagle.
I made the mistake of trying to drive along the sand bank separating
water from the muddy track on the other side and despite seeing close views of
both Spoonbill and Flamingos it was necessary to make a reverse crawl of over
400 metres to regaining safety – and sanity!
Only little consolation to have an Osprey fishing at close quarters. Working our way back along the track we
recorded both Zitting Cisticola and a White Stork.

Slender-billed GullLarius genel

A short drive along the road to check out the nearby waters
revealed mainly Purple Swamphens, Common Redshanks and Cormorants but also a
pair of Caspian Terns on the lake.
Finally, re-crossing the short bridge to turn inland I happened to look
down to the right as a pair of Barnacle Geese drifted slowly down river. Then it was back to our hotel for the evening
and a sighting of Flamingos flying parallel to the coast and a number of
feeding Turnstones.

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I retired at the end of 1998 having been a primary school headteacher for thirty years. After a couple of years undertaking some consultancy/ training work with headteachers, I moved to the Axarquia area of the Costa del Sol in Spain. We now live on a mountain top, a little to the north of Velez Malaga and overlook Lake Vinuela to the north and the sea to the south, which gives us excellent panoramic views of the whole area including the mountains.I have been a birder for over fifty years and before leaving GB I was a qualified "Ringer" for the BTO, undertaking most of my studies in Staffordshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. All three counties being well away from the coast, it is not surprising that my main field of interest were those "Little Brown Jobs" (often referred to as LBJs), with a special emphasis on roost work in the autumns and winters and early morning visits to favoured sites, such as Charwelton on the Banbury road from Daventry where, in June and July, it was possible to catch and ring well over an hundred birds and still be home by just after nine am to take the family shopping!

Always an interest in classical music, I have also sung in operettas and one appearance in a "grand opera" (Aida). Most of the former was with the Stamford Gilbert & Sullivan Players where I had the good fortune to appear, rather than star, in all save "Utopia".